Wildlife advocates want rodenticides banned in Massachusetts

BOSTON - Rodents are running rampant in communities across Massachusetts, but the way cities and towns work to control the population is the center of a debate on Beacon Hill.

On Wednesday, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hearing that took public debate on a set of bills that would limit what chemicals can be used to trap or kill rodents.

One of them deals specifically with requests from residents in Arlington who are looking for the city to enact a total ban of rodenticide. Right now, state law allows cities or towns to ban them from public property but not private property.

Residents like Laura Kiesel of the Save Arlington Wildlife group want that to change. "We want to protect our wildlife, as well as our companion animals like cats and dogs and our children, which are also very vulnerable," Kiesel said. "We are just being traumatized over and over with these losses unless the state can pass these laws."

Earlier this week in Reading, residents posted on Facebook pages about their concerns over a rodent trap that had been smashed open, leaving poisonous chemicals laying out in the park. Many residents expressed concern that dogs, or children, could accidentally expose themselves to it.

Greg Sutcliffe, of Reading, said the pictures concerned him and for good reason. On New Year's Eve of 2021, Sutcliffe's two family dogs made their way out of the house and into the neighborhood. Within 20 minutes of returning home, Sutcliffe said he knew something was wrong. He rushed the dogs to the vet. "They were both gone within 40 minutes of me finding them," said Sutcliffe.

They had ingested a poison like that in the rodent boxes. Sutcliffe said he understands there is a rodent problem in communities in our area, but how cities and towns go about solving it should be up for discussion.

"It's the unintended consequence that are really unfortunate," said Sutcliffe. "Take it more seriously. Not only in our state but in our local municipalities. I know our cities are stretched thin but if these are the things they are doing, (they need) to pay attention."